Standoff With Police Ends Peacefully

A four-hour standoff between a Thompson Township man and state police negotiators ended favorably and without incident over the weekend.

Kenneth Farley
Forty-two-year-old Kenneth Shawn Farley was taken into custody by Pennsylvania State Police, McConnellsburg, and members of the state police special emergency response team Sunday afternoon at his home located at 682 Donahoe Lane, Needmore.

Charges filed against Farley resulting from the 12:17 p.m. incident on October 10 include three counts of simple assault, two counts of aggravated assault and one count each of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, terroristic threats and recklessly endangering another person.

After being taken into custody, Farley was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Wendy Mellott and remanded to the Franklin County Prison. Bail was denied by Judge Mellott in the case.

In an affidavit of probable cause, investigating officer Trooper Joseph Horton of the Mc- Connellsburg substation stated that he interviewed a 42-year-old female from Hancock, Md., at a home adjacent to Farley’s. The interview was continued later in the evening at Fulton County Medical Center, where the woman was treated for injuries that ranged from severe pain in her left shoulder to heavy bruising and swelling to her face.

In the affidavit, Horton maintains his interview revealed the woman went to the Thompson Township home to drop off dog feed and cigarettes. Farley began questioning the woman as to why she had him arrested, the affidavit states.

Court and police records show Farley was charged on September 20 for an incident dating back to November 7, 2009, involving terroristic threats, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person. All charges have been waived to the Fulton County Court of Common Pleas for mandatory arraignment.

In addition, Farley was again arrested by state police on October 4 and then released on $30,000 bail for violating a protection-fromabuse order filed by the same 42- year-old woman from Hancock. The woman claimed Farley violated the terms of the order by repeatedly calling her.

In her interview with state police over the weekend, the woman stated Farley pulled out a pistol and threatened to shoot her. He is also accused of using the pistol to sexually and physically assault the woman, who was forced to strip off her shorts and shoes.

The woman was able to flee from the house, the affidavit states, but Farley caught her and tried to pull her back into the trailer by her hair. The two allegedly struggled for the gun, but a family member intervened and took the weapon.

Farley proceeded to barricade himself inside his home on the premise he was unwilling to go back to jail. A gunshot was heard from inside the residence, but Farley was eventually arrested many hours later and determined to be uninjured.